


A Study in End Points

by Jupiter_Ash



Series: Tennis [5]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tennis, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 11:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17406092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jupiter_Ash/pseuds/Jupiter_Ash
Summary: In the Tennis!Verse, Sherlock and John react to the recent news.





	A Study in End Points

**Author's Note:**

> Written quickly. Not beta-ed. Apologies for any mistakes.

*

Baker Street - 11th January, 2019

*

_"I spoke to my team and I told them I can't keep doing this. I needed to have an end point, because just playing with no idea when the pain was going to stop... and I felt like making that decision. I said to my team, look, I think I can kind of get through this to Wimbledon. That's where I would like to... that's where I'd like to stop playing. But I'm also not certain I'm able to do that."_

The video stopped there, with a bowed head and a broken voice, and in a way John was glad that it had because it meant he did not have to watch any more. It had been hard enough seeing just those few minutes.

"He's announced it then?"

Sucking in a breath, John nodded and closed the video. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "You were right."

"Pity," Sherlock said as he passed over a mug of coffee and settled down for his own breakfast. "For his sake, I hoped I would be wrong."

"I suppose, in the end, there are some things that even sheer stubbornness can't overcome. He looked so-"

John trailed off, not really wanting to voice the one word they were both thinking: _broken._

Andy Murray, their once rival, now good friend, had looked... broken.

"Makes me doubly glad you retired when you did," John said. "Even though you probably had another season or more in you."

"Maybe I did," Sherlock said idly, "but to what purpose? I'd achieved all I had wanted to and we both knew my knees weren't going to last forever. Better to go out on my own terms while I was still near the top. And anyway, as supportive as he is, I don't think my husband would have survived another season of injury scares, temper tantrums, and broken rackets. And I confess, I'm rather fond of my other half." 

They shared a smile before returning to their activities; Sherlock to his breakfast, John to the news.

"Do you blame me though," Sherlock said quietly after a moment.

John frowned. "Blame you for retiring when you did?"

"No.” He shook his head. “For not letting you retire when you wanted to. For making you play until-" he nodded towards John's shoulder.

Like Murray, it was injury that had finally forced John's second and final retirement from the singles. Unlike Murray, John had not gone through the same anguish around such an injury. He'd already had his big Wimbledon moment, and he had already retired once, so he had always felt as if he was on borrowed time. It had not exactly a secret that a big part of his return to singles the first time was due to Sherlock and that he was really only doing that until he physically couldn't do it anymore. When his shoulder had forced him out of the game for a couple of months, he had taken it as a sign that that should be it and had dropped the singles for the occasional doubles. Then when it became clear that that wasn't sustainable either, he had announced his full retirement (again) and that was that.

It had never occurred to him that Sherlock might feel guilt over it. Sure, he'd gone through a certain amount of pain, another operation, and a lot of physiotherapy, which he wouldn't have done if he had retired the first time, but it had been his body, his decision. He had returned to singles for Sherlock, but nothing would have kept him playing beyond what he had felt he was physically capable of. And Sherlock wouldn't have wanted him to either.

"You didn't force me to play."

"You'd retired."

"For the wrong reasons, remember, and we both know I wouldn't have agreed to play again if I hadn't thought I could. Yeah, so it was injury that got me in the end, but we both knew that would always be the most likely outcome, and up until that point I was still enjoying it. So no, you have nothing to feel guilty about. And anyway, I played for _us_ , which is no different from you retiring for _us_ either. Some things are more important than even tennis."

He held Sherlock's gaze until he finally received the small nod of acceptance.

"Melbourne are 11 hours ahead," Sherlock said after another moment. "I believe Judy is also there."

"I'll message her then," John said. "She can pass it on. He's got enough to deal with right now."

"Make sure they know it's from both of us."

"Will do."

"And tell him," Sherlock started, "tell him he did good."

**Author's Note:**

> For Andy Murray, who deserved better and will be sorely missed.


End file.
